POV Narrator:

The pinching that Laura and Bernadette felt while they were sleeping was definitely not either of them pinching the other before waking up, but something else, it was Daryl inserting the curse of the metal balls inside both girls, who barely knew what had happened, just going about their lives as usual, so much so that after giving little Diana some attention, the two went back to sleep as if nothing had happened in the middle of that dawn, this while Daryl celebrated in her room that his sister and his wife would be forcibly separated, her plan ended up working in parts, Her plan ended up working in parts, since she still needed to reveal to both of them what had happened, otherwise they would die and Daryl would take the blame and could be sentenced to live a lifetime behind bars, Bernadette's sister knew very well that what she had committed so far was enough to incriminate her for a lot of things, After all, not only had she committed indirect crimes like the death of her mother, but she also had a much longer history of crimes that were not seen by the crystal ball, like being the one behind the sabotages performed at Laura McLaren for all those seasons, and also the participation in some robberies performed in the middle east. So things for Daryl were at the extreme risk, she needed to take a drastic measure like that having knowledge that she could possibly also go totally the way she was not going to expect, as the chances of going to jail for the use of a totally forbidden magic could doom her if Laura and Bernadette were to resort to calling the police and the WCI to surrender Daryl and arrest her. That was definitely the plan that would be all or nothing for Bernadette's sister so she could have more control and authority in the family.

Friday, August 7, 1998, Cavendish family mansion, Weddinburgh, Scotland

Three months and one week, 99 days to be exact, that was Diana's age when Daryl Cavendish was about to drop the bomb on the whole family and reveal what she had really done to Laura and Bernadette. A child who didn't even have three digits to live would be forcibly separated from one of her mothers, all because of the selfishness of her aunt who didn't want to see her grow up with the influence of both mothers, even more so Laura McLaren who was someone who could motivate her to never bow her head to anyone. The day was starting like any other, Laura and Bernadette had gotten up countless times during the night due to the electronic baby-sitter, this until the last time they got up at nine o'clock in the morning where they decided to stay awake with the little girl, the hours were passing and it was already 11 o'clock in the morning, Daryl got up and went to Anna's room that was trying to change the two Cavendish daughters that didn't stop running from one side to the other, but they soon stopped when they saw their mother there.

- Anna, please, may I ask you something else? Without wishing to impose too much... It's just that today you could go out with the girls for a walk? I'll leave some money with you and you can buy whatever they want, just go to the mall with the girls and stay the whole day - I tell Anna while I was holding out my hand with the money in my hand that soon she picks up the money cookie that must have about ten thousand pounds, enough for a whole day.

- That's a lot of money Miss Daryl, are you sure you want to use all of it? I don't know if I can accept an amount like that - she said all straightforward until I just smiled.

- Consider it a fatter tip, you can spend it all on them, the rest is for you and Carter, I just really want the two girls to go out for a while because I have some things to take care of? Is that okay? - I ask her, who is a little tense, but nods in agreement.

- Okay, Mrs. Daryl, we're going for a walk with the girls, when can I come back? - Anna asked me.

- The night, spend the whole day with them, I assure you it's for a good reason Anna - I tell her who nods in agreement and then I just turn around.

I follow the path through the corridors until I reach the living room and there were the two victims, they didn't know anything, but they were already counting down, if they don't know what I did in 7 days, they will die, but as I am a very benevolent person I will tell them, I will just wait for the girls to leave, so I sit on the couch and just wait, besides giving a little look to Diana who was looking at the two mothers and soon they notice that I was looking at them and I make sure to tease them by being a little thick.

- What are you looking at? Did you lose your ass with my face? - I say all rude to them that remain quiet and just ignore me, but what a drag, they did not even to get irritated and answer that I was swearing, instead they just ignored me ... Well, I guess this is going to be a little tedious, I have to stay here and wait for Anna to finish getting my daughters ready.

I kept waiting, I looked at the three of them, they were a happy family... What the fuck... I alone had to take care of my two girls, they together take care of only one, for them it is easier, they are two taking care of only one... For them everything is easy, these dark circles under their eyes are pure freshness and even so they are happy... This is the most unbearable phase they have, the child doesn't know how to wipe her bottom, she doesn't know how to eat by herself and anything else dies... Really, how wonderful they think it is, I would be freaking out, even with only one of them... Until Anna and Carter arrive holding my daughters, it didn't take that long and the girls don't look poor or wearing trinkets... Excellent job dressing them in classy clothes.

- We are ready to go Daryl, are they well dressed or do you want them to wear other clothes? - Anna asked about my daughters.

- Yes Anna, go ahead, have a nice day... Oh and girls, behave yourselves, today is a special day, where Anna will buy everything you want today at the mall, just don't overdo it, since you have to have enough to spend the whole day, now have fun, mommy has things to take care of today - I say giving a little kiss on the forehead of each one that soon gets excited when they know they will buy everything they wanted.

After this I look at Bernadette and Laura and both of them were just looking at our conversation and soon they went back to give attention to the brat, I went with Anna, Carter and the girls leading them to the door, until the driver arrives and leaves everyone in the car, I just wait for the car to pass through the gate and soon I was thinking of a triumphal entry, now was my moment, the moment that they would find out what I did to them, but after some thought, I take a deep breath, enter the door and finally comes the moment when I would act, now I want to see how they will react. I walk calmly until I reach the living room and see the two, I lean on the couch and stare at them with a look of mischief.

- But that's so cute, what a beautiful thing, it's a pity that you are living the last moments like this - I say with all the sarcasm of the world which makes them not give a damn and just ignore me - Well, play dumb, because who will end up dying of many punctures in a week will be the two of you... Or do you think that those were pinches given by each other... Not for nothing, but who was in your room last night was me - I tell the two who are with a more serious expression until I take a camera from my pocket and then Laura faces me a little angry.

- You did what? If you poisoned us and intend to kill us, know that this will earn you a lifetime behind bars! If you kill us, I won't die without making you pay - said Laura, all righteous... Wow... What a thing, you really think you're going to scare me.

- You are free to watch, I recommend skipping most of it because I had the displeasure of having to wait for the couple to stop having sex and go to sleep before I could act, I saw things I didn't want to see, well this won't do any good, I already saw that by the expression of you, the two pretty ones are already starting to believe me ... I just have a few words to say... The curse of Margaret Ford's metal balls - I say with all conviction what left the two in shock, especially Laura, she began to change her expression slightly.

POV Laura:

I remember it very well... Margaret Ford's trial... She put this curse on the Du Nord girls to separate them from the Cavendish girls... If I'm not mistaken it was Adeleine Du Nord and Bern's grandmother who were forced to stay away from each other... But how cruel... I can't believe she made a point of throwing one of these at us... But why? Why do that? Damn Daryl... She really did it. No... No... No... No... No! Diana! No! Bernadette! She's really forcing me to separate from my daughter and my wife just like that... I really hope it's a bluff, I was already crying with rage until I stared with all the rage in the world at that damn thing and started walking towards her staring at her closely while she stared at me like it was pathetic, but what a bitch... Wretch.

- You're not crazy to do that, Daryl Cavendish! Why the fuck would you do this to us? I'm the one who put the money in this mansion! I have paid off all the debts and we are finally able to live debt free, for someone who is greedy I don't see why he would want to throw me out of the house... Unless... - I say to her, who starts laughing and clapping her hands.

- Go back to Ireland with your little money earned from broom races, I don't want those millions, I don't want to be supported by the person who put me in this situation? Basically you know well what made me get here, without the influence of you together on Diana, she will not have a wonderful life and also she will not turn against me, but I do not want to reveal more than you already know, so you have one week, I will not miss you at all Laura, I hope you have enjoyed these eight years that you stayed here mocking my face, because your magic power may be greater, but I beat you by intelligence ... What? Are you crying? - I couldn't stand it, I started thinking many things in my head.

All those moments that I would live with Diana... Growing up next to her, the love that was being given by her, I knew well what that thing is capable of doing... I can't believe I fell for it... I can't believe... No... No... No... No, no, no, no... I will be ripped from the arms of my family and wife... This thing has no cure... There is no antidote. No, no, no... I dropped to my knees on the floor and was bursting into tears... I would totally miss the childhood moments of my own daughter. Damned... Daryl Cavendish... Wretch... I was all emotional... I lost my whole life... No! No! No! I'll never get to see my daughter grow up again.

Bernadette POV:

What is Daryl trying to say with all this? Why is Laura crying her eyes out? Ahhhh! I'm just getting angry... If that's what I'm thinking. She really didn't do it. I can't believe it. Daryl. My own sister wants to ruin my life. Separate the love of my life from my daughter. No... No... I don't... Ahhh... I couldn't resist, I went running all the way to my sister, I punched her in the nose with all my strength and she even took some steps backwards, I had never seen Laura crying like that since my grandmother's death, this cursed woman can't stay unpunished for what she did, I swear I will expel her from the Cavendish family residence now! Daryl has already crossed the line, after punching her in the face she ends up laughing, but what a sadistic woman... She is really very insensitive... And I was going to punch again until someone held my hand... It was Laura, she had stood up and was crying...

- If that's what you want, then congratulations, you wretch. You did it... You have separated us, but don't think you are going to get away with this... You're going to give me the book and the very content you made to curse us now, or else we won't just kick you out, the WCI will come here and against both of us you don't have the slightest chance to escape, this footage here will become evidence, so let's make a deal - Laura said all serious wiping the tears and facing Daryl with one of the looks I had never seen before, Laura being super serious, something that even I would be afraid of and my sister even loses the seriousness pose.

- A proposal? It seems that someone ended up surrendering too easily to me - said my sister, still happy, "how could anyone be happy with that? Laura still kept the same serious pose... I'm more in shock with Laura's sudden seriousness than with this news, as if it wasn't something so bad, even if it was because of the way my love fell down crying it must have been something very heavy... If I'm not mistaken that's what that Margareth Ford used with my grandmother and Madame Adeleine Du Nord.

- No more bullshit, either you accept this, or you will spend the rest of your life in prison, now I understand why you insisted on taking your daughters out today, you intended them not to know about the monstrosity that you are... But let's get to the deal right away, you will show me everything, I want the liquid that you made to inject us, I believe you must have more stored, after all you are not stupid to use a small amount ... I want the book too, this that you committed is a crime, using a forbidden spell against us, I will get out of here as you so much want, but know that I will find the cure and come back here, no matter how long it takes, I will not allow you to do this to anyone else, but before you say anything ... I know you won't go to jail just for using a forbidden spell, so just give me this book and the content you injected in both of us ... Another thing I ask is that you don't try to do anything about the times I go to talk to Bernadette from a distance, much less try to do anything to your sister, if you do anything I will trigger my trustworthy agent and you can go to jail not only for the spell you used, that alone would give you 15 years, but what about the tax fraud? Do you think I'm an imbecile? I count the money of this whole family when I'm not running, I know the money that comes in and the money that goes out, I also know that you are a lazy unemployed and it doesn't enter into the account that you always manage to spend thousands of pounds on makeup, clothes, luxury cars and even with your daughters with the allowance that Bernadette gives you to support your daughters of a thousand pounds a month which has everything included, free food, free housing, are a thousand pounds to buy toys and clothes for girls and my account does not match that you have all this just with the aid Daryl... This money of yours came in somehow and it wasn't clean by the looks of it... If you hide money under the mattress and that money has a criminal origin you would get much more than the 15 years in prison... That's because I would still make a point to use the crystal ball and if you have nothing to fear I think it's good to accept my proposal, you will not interfere in my interactions with Bernadette, I will stay away and you will cooperate with the creation of the antidote for the shit you did... Understood? Don't think of denying it, or else. And don't even think of screwing up again, I'm here giving you a chance, Daryl Cavendish, one last chance... - Daryl remained silent without reaction, for someone who was all excited, Laura when she is serious can really change anyone, even I would be more behaved this way... Wow... I would kick Daryl out on the spot... A criminal like that doesn't deserve to share the same house as me.

- Come on then - Daryl said with few words, and I noticed how much more defeated she felt this time, especially since Laura had put some moral high ground on my sister.

POV Laura:

Damn Daryl... Wretched... The worst thing is that if it was just for her, I wouldn't hesitate, I would have already arrested her without a second thought and would search her room, but I have my morals, I have respect for her property... I am doing this for her daughters... If Daryl is arrested... the girls will be motherless. Bern will already have a lot of work taking care of Diana alone. Imagine if she goes to jail, so I will spare her at least for now, but when I come back she will come to pay dearly for all she has caused me... You can be sure of that... Or else I hope she will redeem herself for everything she has done... I will try to talk to those immortal witches... They have to help me somehow... Please... Harriet Benson, Freya Benson... Help me... I hope I can talk to them... It's not every witch that has this privilege which is already very fucked up... Until we get to the room and then she starts to reveal that she had a whole vial full of the curse. So I make a point to get it all and also the book in hand, the woman even had the audacity to look at me with a tremendous disgust.

- Satisfied? Or do you want more? - She said with all the rudeness, this bitch has the audacity to want to feel on top, but she has no idea of the monstrosity that she is doing, wretched son of a bitch... I should pay a lot more, but what can I do? What's left for me to do is to be patient... I'll argue with Rose and also with April, I have to solve this.

- Fuck you Daryl, I should be asking you this, but now if you'll allow me I'm going to say goodbye to my wife and daughter... You insensitive... All you've done at what cost? You wanted a mansion of your own and to have your own life? Fine! I would pay you without any fear, I would give you hundreds of millions of pounds just to get rid of you, why didn't you just accept that? Why didn't you just ask for money? You could live better than you ever have and still not disturb us, you would have enough to retire for the rest of your life, but you just chose to get rid of me? All this at a cost of nothing... I will still come back Daryl, know that you won't be able to do any damage, that even without my presence in this time, you won't be able to get your hands on Diana, there is still the matter that I have already planted the seed in Bernadette, your niece will have the same spirit independent of her mother and whether or not my indirect influence will not make her manipulable - I said seriously to her who continued to ignore me on the way, we came back from there, Bernadette was holding back her tears, she was with little Diana... What a bitch... I swear she will pay, love.

- Is it really true, love? Did she do that? - Bernadette was all weepy, I guessed until I nodded with all the fear in the world and so my cabbage gets up crying and hugs me.

I just felt my shoulders getting damp...damn... I felt so down. That was heartbreaking... After so long, I thought this damn thing was over with its evil plans and shit, how could I let myself go through that, I should have hired Rose's services to keep a better eye on Daryl so I would have an idea of what she was doing, but I thought everything was ok... Now I have to go on a journey to find the cure, but that's ok, I will do it... All for the sake of my family, I will go back and try to be as quick as possible, I don't want to miss my daughter's childhood... And Daryl won't be able to try anything to separate us, because I will still be Bernadette's wife, we are still officially married and Diana is declaredly my daughter, her name is registered as Diana Cavendish McLaren IV and there is nothing that will make our past be erased.

- This is all your fault Daryl... I hope you're very pleased with what you've done... I'm still going to give you a lot of shit for what you did to both of us - she said after we broke away from the hug and I went towards Diana where I stood crying while looking at the crib.

- Farewell... Daughter... Mama Laura will never forget how special you were to both of us... You can be sure I'll be back as soon as I can I love you... Ahhh... Goodbye my child... I didn't want to have to do this... But unfortunately we have to say goodbye now. I hope you never forget me... No matter how much mommy has to leave with you at such a young age. Remember me... I'll always be in your heart - I tell her while still in tears. I didn't want to have to say goodbye to my daughter. So after saying goodbye to my girl I go to Bern and take her hand.

- This won't be just a goodbye love, don't think as if we will never meet again, I believe in you... I know that after we get through this we will get back together... And Daryl I hope you understand... Look at the second chance you got, you could very well have been arrested, Laura was extremely benevolent in letting you get through this, but know that if you try anything else against us... We won't have any mercy - Bern said facing Daryl seriously, so serious that we took Diana and went towards the bedroom, we were going to prepare my things, just ignoring Daryl.

There we stayed packing my bags, I made sure to take some things like photo albums and some clothes, but others I made sure to leave, since I would come back for them after a long journey, even more so since I am sure that I can come back in a few years maybe... I hope it will only be a few years, but it will still be painful to stay so long away from my wife... I swear that after this I will keep a very close eye on Daryl... If she was capable of this, she might be capable of doing something much worse... After packing all the bags, which wasn't everything, but was a good part, I'll go with Bernadette to the garage... Diana was taken care of by another house maid, so we put everything in the car and from there we had a last kiss on each other. A kiss that I made sure to make last as long as possible... That was a feeling that I didn't want to have, a last kiss... I felt inside me as if this really was the last... But what the hell... I was leaving... After so many years of rebuilding this family, her damn sister arrives with all that and completely destroys all our plans.

- Goodbye my love... - I say crying...

- And what do you intend to do? Don't you think this could all be Daryl's bluff? - asks my cabbage until I take a deeper breath.

- If it were we wouldn't have the syringe marks... Besides that the liquid really was made... I am going to look for Rose and also try by all means to find the cure... Love... We will never stop communicating, whether by letter or by internet, I will never stop talking to you Bernadette... I love you - I tell her that she was still crying as I got into the car, I even rolled the window down and looked at her already a little depressed.

- I'll be waiting for you as long as you are Laura McLaren, I'll never stop loving you... Goodbye love... And I'll take care of this place while you are gone... I think it will be better for both of us if Diana doesn't find out about you yet, love... Because she might end up wanting us to get back together thinking that we are romantically separated... I'm sorry to say that Laura... But you won't be that present in Diana's life... At least until the healing... - she said and I understood... I knew it wouldn't work to risk her knowing about me and not going from one place to another, besides that it would probably irritate Daryl, so I lowered the car window and drove away.

From the Cavendish mansion I didn't go very far, in fact I decided first to pay a visit to someone who is also alone... But this one alone with her daughter... I went to April's house which was a little further away than Bern's house... I needed to talk to someone I had a lot of affinity with and I also wanted to have a shoulder to cry on, besides it had been a long time since I had seen my best friend.

POV Bernadette:

That's the last time I see that car go... Goodbye Laura... As for Diana I preferred to keep everything a secret about my connection with Laura... Even more so because Daryl's influence might think that we both are crazy to think that we are her biological mothers, the poor thing will be going from one place to another and it will seem that she has separate mothers on top of that, she would never understand that we were forced... Sorry about that my love... But I will make sure to emphasize to my daughter that she can love whatever she wants, I will not let Daryl's influence destroy her... Speaking of her... I will go right now to see if she is happy with all of this and that is what I do, I walk with very angry steps to her who is just looking at me as if she did nothing.

- You damned, wretch! Is that why I wanted to take up so much of your time? What will you gain by all this? It won't weaken me, I'm still the leader of the family, I'll still be here taking care of Diana! On top of that you could almost be expelled for what you have done, not to mention that you could be arrested and we could find out all the atrocities you have done? But look how benevolent we were, Laura preferred to let it go in exchange for allowing herself to use the cure and talk to me from a distance? I won't even mention to Diana about her being her mother too... Congratulations Daryl... You are as rotten as our mother - I say this to her and when she hears about our mother, there is a silence and then her expression changes to an angry one, I don't know why.

- Don't tell me I'm just like Clarie! You don't know what I went through at the hands of that cursed one while you went to live your lesbian paradise with that cursed one, you have no idea how I was practically tortured to be a worthy leader and then you take away all that magical power that I suffered so much to achieve? Do you really think that you are the only ones who have suffered all these years? And as for Maryl and Merrill... I took care of two children on my own, on top of that I had to use Paul to be the father, because I won't say who he is, but I went through horrible things all that time too... You think it's easy to lose a mother and two grand aunts, on top of that to be labeled a criminal by the family just because I just wanted to prevent you from becoming the head of the family? You are the rotten ones, with all your innocent pose - she said, victimizing herself until I decided to get to her and answer her clearly.

- You tortured yourself because you wanted to, grandmother Isabella interceded for you and could have even mitigated a lot of your suffering, but you didn't want to, you didn't accept anything she did, you speak as if I hadn't spent 15 years in the hand of the same mother, as if I hadn't also gone through the same things... The difference is that she took it a little easier and I had gotten used to it, but I knew that I shouldn't lower my head for the image of the family and should fight for my independence... You have no morals Daryl... Your two daughters were taken care of by Anna, Tracey and us, both Paul and you didn't care much for them, always leaving the responsibility aside and going to take care of other things, Paul's side I even understand, he's not the father, but to have fooled the Hanbridge family just for money and power is too wrong, even more so because you only had them both for advantage maneuver, you didn't have them with love and thinking about having a daughter... Horrible things that you went through that were nothing more or less than deserved by you Daryl Cavendish... You're the one victimizing yourself here, don't play dumb, our family was all happy and doing well until you came along with this... We could give you your dream life without doing anything, you could even stay away from us... Without your daughters, living what you want most, flaunting the money that Laura earned, but you chose to stay here and destroy our coexistence? Honestly Daryl, I really hope you pay for everything you've done - I said with all conviction and she continued shrugging her shoulders without giving a damn so much as she left as if I hadn't said anything, but what a bitch... She does the crimes and doesn't pay for anything.

See you, McLaren witch...